Daily Madden: Zito’s Newfound Success

Barry Zito #75 of the San Francisco Giants pitches against the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field on July 17, 2012 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)

SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) – Barry Zito threw seven scoreless innings as the Giants beat the Braves in Atlanta Tuesday. “You expect some guy to bring some heat and (hitters) can’t get around on it and stuff. When (Zito) lobs that thing in there, you think it’s just a matter of time,” John Madden told the KCBS morning crew.

With good control of a not-so-fast fastball and baffling changeups and curves, Zito won his eighth game of the season. “(Hitters) get ready for something and you give them something else, that’s a big advantage.”

What makes an athlete a ‘gamer?’ “Anyone is a gamer that plays better than you expect them to and comes up with a better performance or a higher performance, especially when the game is on the line,” Madden said. “And there are guys like that, I mean guys that don’t look good in practice and aren’t necessarily the biggest or strongest or the fastest. But when you need a play, they become the biggest, the strongest and the fastest.”

Robert Griffin III has signed a four year $21 million deal with the Washington Redskins. “I think a lot of people were waiting to see what the ceiling was for this year’s class,” Madden said. Griffin was the top choice in the NFL draft. “So now that they get his numbers, I would expect in the next day or two that they’ll all be signed.”

Listen to the John Madden segment live weekday mornings at 8:15 on KCBS All News 740 AM/106.9 FM.)

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)